Pink Ribbon Roscommon Cycle 29th July

Don’t forget the pink ribbon Roscommon cycle on 29th of July. They are looking for helpers on the day serving tea coffee sandwiches water etc and flag men. They need sponsorship from our local shops and businesses, bread, butter, coffee, tea, water and bars etc. Anyone that can give time or support in any way please contact Danny on 086 8417264 or face book (Danny Doyle) you can also contact Doreen Conlon on 086 8196062

Tuesday Evening Cycle 29/5/12

Well some brave souls headed off to Lanesborough for a quick spin. What a lovely evening they had for it. I have to admit I did not join them but I must say I was sorry not to do so as they headed off. With a bit of luck I will be with them next Tuesday. Let’s hope the weather keeps up. Well done lads

Sunday 20k Cycle 27/5/12

I have to say it was great to see so many turn out for our first 20k of the summer. Both the young and ever so slightly older turned out for the trip to Portrun. Thanks to John we had a supply of cold drinks and Jaffa cakes to refuel when we got there. While the younger cyclists took an energetic break and even cycled round a bit, some of the rest of us enjoyed the chance to either stand upright or relax at one of the benches. It was a glorious sunny day and an ideal time to get back up on a bike for a relaxing trip. The pace challenged some a bit but no one got so far ahead that anyone felt left out. I suspect there were some who had not been on a bike since last summer. Still everyone kept up on the return to Kilteevan. I would like to say thank you to everyone for helping to make it such an enjoyable outing. Let’s hope we can do the same again this Sunday coming. There are lots more out there that did not make the trip this Sunday and maybe we can encourage them to dust off their bikes for the next cycle. Apologies for the quality of the photos I was just a bit knackered. I will get them up over the next few days. Once again Thank you to everyone who came along I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. 

Cycling Clubs (To join or not to join)

Summer comes, you get the bike out and off you go. Who needs a cycling club? After all they are for racers aren’t they. They are only for those on road bikes going at 30k + and all you want is to get a bit fitter and knock off those extra pounds before the holidays. Let’s face it you would never keep up with them anyway and you don’t want to be last. You just want to do a few k not the 100k that these clubs do on a Sunday. There’s not a lot to cycling is there? You push the pedals around and away you go. So that’s it why bother?

A couple of things to consider. Not everyone in a club is a racer. Not everyone rides a road bike. I certainly don’t hit 30k + (unless it’s downhill of course). If I’m not last in, someone else is. I don’t keep up with the fitter lads and lassies but every now and then they stop and wait for everyone to catch up. Not everyone does a 100k on a Sunday. Clubs also do 20k cycles to get people cycle fit and they progress at their own rate to 40k, 60k and so on. Not everyone wants to push 100k and most clubs cater for the shorter cycles. When it is wet or cold I know there are some other fools heading off on a cycle and it gets me out to join them. When I find the going hard someone tucks in front of me and helps me along. When the hills and wind get to me and the legs are giving out, there is someone there to encourage me to keep going. Yes cycling is just a case of pushing the pedals round. It’s a bit like moving a pile of bricks. You can do it the easy way or the hard way. So why not join a club, it makes the journey easier and a bit more fun. Get the bike out of the shed and take it for a spin with a club this Sunday

Longford Cycle on the 24th of June

Starts and finishes at the Mall, Longford Sport and Leisure Centre, Start time 12 noon. You must register before Friday 8^th June and sign in on the morning of the event. Forms must be returned to Longford Cycling Tour, Longford Sports Partnership, Aras an Chontae, Great Water Street, Longford.  Along with the entry fee. Note 10 years and over for the 10k event, 14 years and over for the 50k. For a registration form click Here 

What to bring for a short cycle

For those of you going on your first cycle with us, I would like to suggest one or two items you might want to bring. The same goes for anyone taking part in a cycle long or short.

A drink, just to keep you going

A snack bar or sweets, for that extra bit of energy

Gloves, to keep the fingers toasty

Cycle helmet, that way everyone has a bad hair day (COMPULSORY)

High Vis vest/jacket, so everyone can see you

Light rain jacket or gillet, in the unlikely event we might get a drop of rain

Apply sun cream if it looks likely we might get a look at a clear sky

Not all of the above is necessary but they will make a short trip a little more enjoyable. Later on I will put something together for those longer cycles on armchair J like saddles.

Kilteevan to the Reek

Well it’s official, we are arranging our first overnight trip for club members. It’s Kilteevan via Tulsk, Charlestown and on to Croagh Patrick. Off your bike, short stagger up the Reek, back down anyway you can, overnight with some refreshments and back on your bike for the return. Sounds like FUN L. The dates for your diary are August 25^th and 26^th. I will open a new topic in the forum for additional details and comments. Reply to the topic and commit to the trip. It will give you time to focus your training and get bike fit again. 

Race the RAS

I believe that you can still sign in to participate in a stage of the RAS. The Registration form is Here  and you can find information on the RAS at http://racetheras.com/. You will need to print off the registration form, fill it in, bring it with you to the stage and let Joe know you wish to join up on 086 8181919.

Longford Cycle

                                                                                                                                                                Kieran sent this on might be a nice starter for some. It's the Longford Cycle Tour with the Sports Partnership. It's on the 24th June, 15k €10 and 50k €20. I'll see if I can get some additional information.

Pretty in Pink

Roscommon Pink Ribbon Cycle 29^th July. The organisers are looking for help and sponsorship to get this on the road. The intention is to have a 20k family/kids cycle, a 60k and 110k cycle. This is a great cause and we should all think about supporting it. They will need bodies to man drinks stations, cross roads Start and Finish. If you are willing to help in any way either contact me at jagitphoto@gmail.com or Danny Doyle. I’ll open a thread on the forum and see if we can get some interest

Bolg or Website

I was asked the other day “What’s the difference between a blog and a Website?”

I have to say it was something I hadn’t thought of. We tend to use these things and not pay any attention to the fact that others might not understand the reasons for the choice we make or indeed the options available. So here goes my simplistic attempt at a basic explanation.

A Blog is similar to a diary:- i.e. it is based on a timeline and others can comment on a post using the comments tag at the bottom of the post. The ability to add comments may or may not be restricted. The content of the blog changes every time someone puts up a post. This ability to post information is restricted to a set few.

A website is closer to a book:- i.e. it is structured by content and there is seldom the ability to comment on items. The content normally remains the same although there is usually a means to communicate with the owner of the website. The webmaster is normally the only one with the ability to change the website content.

What next? Use the facility of the blog to communicate with those of similar mind. You can comment on posts. You can link to other sites. You can suggest other sites. You can use the Forum to generate interest and see what others think. Put a question on the forum, put up items for sale, what about the trip to Westport. Most people have access therefore it is easier to reach all the followers/members than at a meeting that may not have everyone in attendance.

Time Trials 18/5/12

Well the second night of our time trials went ahead with the usual suspects turning out. I have to say that at the end I was bushed although there was defiantly NO improvement in my time. I believe it’s a great way to judge your cycle fitness and it gives you a set target to improve on. There is no doubt but that there are those who will always try to compete and they are right to do so. It is a great way to ensure that they push themselves to the limits. However the real goal is to beat your own time over the course of the season. To do this you have to push yourself and that is not always what we want to do. A time trial gives you a bit of a push, if it is only to try to catch the cyclist in front of you or keep up with the one that has just passed you. Even if it’s only for 50 meters, it gets that bit more out of you. If anyone thinks (and that includes myself) that I’m going to compete with some of those that may be younger fitter and longer in the saddle, they are sorely mistaken. Yes I will push myself for myself and when some of the fitter cyclists tell me to get the led out as he or she flies past, I will grit my teeth call them several names and push harder. That’s me; I do this to get a bit fitter, to learn a new skill and to enjoy an hour away from the daily grind. The club is there for those who want to compete and those who want to enjoy getting fitter. There is room for all and on the Sunday cycle I often feel (know) that I slow the group down. But you know something they are there with me and at the next stop to ensure we all enjoy it. Why not come along and join us? I could do with a few more bodies to bring up the rear.

Lottery Syndicate

10 week lottery syndicate starting with draw on Saturday 26^th. Upfront payment of €20 and either pick 6 numbers or take a chance on a quick pick. Have a word with Clem he’s collecting and if you’re not in you can’t win. Mind you I know an actuary who won’t spend a Euro on a lottery. Still I’m in for whatever good it might do. Monies need to be paid in before the 26^th. I hear on the grapevine he might join us for the Time Trial Thursday (he has been seen practicing in and out the road) and the cycle on Sunday

Beware of plastic bags

Just to say thanks to Shannonside CC for hosting the cycle on Sunday. It was a bit windy on the day but at least the rain stayed away. Nine hardy bodies from Kilteevan started out. Five of us chanced our legs to the 60k trip and made it back in one piece (although a bit battered by the wind). Still considering the conditions it was enjoyable. Of the four likely lads that undertook the 108k only three made it back on their bikes. Fortunately it was only the bike that was damaged. Believe it or not a plastic shopping bag caught in the rear derailleur (broke it) and needless to say someone got a lift home. No one was injured but there could have been an accident all because of a plastic bag. It can happen to anyone so the action on all of us is to be vigilant for obstructions and debris on the road. The one criticism of the day that I might have is the number of stops. It might have been nice especially with the day to have had an additional stop on all the runs.

Tour of the Heartlands 2012

Shannonside Cycling Club is hosting a cycle from Athlone on Sunday 13^th of May. Sign in 8am – 9am. Details at http://www.shannonsidecc.com/wordpress/?p=4948#more-4948 . I’m not sure if everyone is going, so I would suggest that it might be worth using the forum to indicate preferences. I will open two topics. 

Time Trials 10/5/12

I would like to say thanks to those that turned up. The weather was not the best for our first Time trial. However for those that did make the effort I believe it was a worthwhile test. Although I have no doubt but that there was some competition among the fitter cyclists. For the rest of us it was a marker that we can aim to improve on. For those that did not make it tonight I hope they will join us next Thursday.

The only way to improve our cycling fitness is to put the time in. This gives us a chance to put in 30 minutes to an hour on the road each Thursday. Time trials are not just for the competitive cyclist, they benefit us all. They give us a chance to measure our fitness and track our progress over a set distance. We should encourage all members new and old to give it a try. All going well I will update the times before the weekend.

Lastly but most importantly I would like to thank on behalf of us all our two time keepers, Fiona and Amy. They kept us honest and that’s not always easy. 

Time Trials

Time Trials J 8PM sharp on the Lanesborough Road opposite Adrian Coyles house. For those of you that know as much about cycling as I do. You start off cycle a set distance and record your time. Cyclists start at one minute intervals with the slowest first (that’s me) off first. You are racing against yourself so it is a good way to check your fitness over the season. Tip start slowly, that way when you give it your all at the end of the season you will have improved immensely.

Lamb Festival Cycle

Just to say thanks to all who took to their bicycles for the Roscommon Lamb Festival. It was great to see so many enthusiastic cyclists on the road. We had them from 5 to 21+++ and all made it from the square to Portrun and back no problem. The weather may have played a part in it but I believe it was the company that made it a great trip. Let’s hope it will encourage people to get on their bikes a bit more and maybe some will join us on a Sunday morning for our weekly trip. If a 5 year old can cycle 22k and still get up and walk then there is no reason why we can’t encourage some others to join us on Sundays. Next Sunday we can cycle some of the new 20k routes we will be encouraging others starting out to join us on. After that we need to get them on their bikes. We must also say thanks to the organisers for arranging everything. Last but not least a BIG THANKS to the Bike Shop for the high vis jackets.

There is a link to the photos from the trip under the slide show. I also have some video that I will try to get up during the week. You can get me on jagit@topmail.ie if there is anything else. Take Care

Roscommon Lamb Festival

For  anyone going to the Lamb Festival cycle. Please meet in the square at 0930 as the cycle is due to commence at 10am

Members of Kilteevan Wheelers just before starting the long cycle from Mullingar to Galway and back